Seeing You
by lilacy
Summary: When Cleo breaks up with Lewis due to their long-distance relationship, she finds herself in the hands of Rikki, their relationship getting more advanced than they could ever imagine; what happens when they get too close?
1. Chapter 1

Close to the verge of tears, Cleo hesitantly dialed Lewis' number as she sat criss-cross on her bed. Was this really necessary? No; but it was heartbreaking every minute she thought of him. Lewis hadn't contacted Cleo in a month; and when she did, it went to voicemail, as expected. She understood why, though. Australia and America, two totally different areas. Two totally different time zones, and two totally different schedules. The last time Lewis spoke to Cleo, he had updated her on how he recently exchanged to a new school in California. Meanwhile, Cleo kept to her dolphin training while she was in midst of applying for a Marine Biology Institute.

"Hello?"

"Lewis! It's me, Cleo!" Cleo was thrilled that he picked up the phone, but the one time he did, she had news to spill.

"Cleo! I've been trying to contact you for a while, but it always goes to voicemail!"

"The same thing here... Listen, Lewis, I have news." Cleo hesitantly said.

"I do too! Let me go first.. I'm coming back in a week to Australia!"

"That's amazing, Lewis.. You're going back to California after, though, right?"

"Yeah, the week after my arrival; it's okay, though. We can make the most of what we've got."

"Right.."

A long, tense silence had arrived. Cleo was regretting every moment of this; but she knew she had to do it. Her heart couldn't take anymore of it.

"Lewis, there's something I have to tell you.. I've been thinking a bit, about us," she began, "I.. I don't think this relationship of ours is working out."

".. What do you mean?"

"Lewis, I've loved you for such a long time, I still do.. I cherish you with all my heart; but you're in America and we're so far apart from each other. When we call each other, it always goes to voicemail. When I think about you, it gets really heartbreaking to me, because- because I know you're not here.. With me."

Cleo tried to hold back her tears. This was already painful enough, and she didn't need to start sobbing uncontrollably in the middle of a phone call.

"Cleo, I- I didn't know you felt that way. I'm really sorry. I uh.. I understand."

"I'm so sorry, Lewis. I-"

She couldn't hold the tears back anymore. She started sniffling as they dripped down her rosy cheeks and onto her distressed skirt.

"Cleo, don't cry, please. It's okay, I understand.."

"I'm sorry, Lewis! I just need a break right now.. I'm so sorry."

And there she hung up, setting the tone for her relationship with Lewis. Cleo wasn't happy about it, but she felt like she needed to tell him. She felt it in her gut, in her soul, and in her wounded heart.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hello?"

"Rikki.. Can you come over, please?" Cleo asked, sniffling through her words.

Rikki got up from laying down on her bed and asked in a concerned voice, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I- I just need someone to talk to.. If you're available, of course, I-"

"No, no, of course! I'll be there in a few minutes, okay?"

Rikki hung up and snatched her purse from the living room table. Rikki hadn't heard Cleo sound like that in a while, not since Lewis had left to America; so the thought of Cleo sounding distressed concerned her.

Rikki grabbed her keys and ran out of her apartment, attempting to get to Cleo's as fast as she could. She couldn't bear to think of Cleo alone in her thoughts for one more minute.

Rikki knocked harshly on Cleo's apartment door. Holding a box of chocolates and tissues, Rikki felt like she was prepared. If Cleo sounded like she was crying on the phone, then something must've occurred.

Cleo sniffled holding a tissue in her hand while she took a glance through the peep-hole. She opened the door to find Rikki with a slight smile on her face, holding tissues and chocolates.

"Need someone to talk to..?" Rikki asked. Cleo nodded and went over to the living room couch, laying down and silently crying to herself. Rikki sat beside her to comfort her, rubbing her arm. "Come on, Cleo.. What happened?"

".. I told Lewis we needed a break.."

Rikki sighed. "Why? What happened?"

"Remember when I told you- about how Lewis never contacted me?"

Rikki nodded. She remembered that day when Cleo came over to her house and told her that Lewis hadn't contacted her for a month; and when Cleo contacted Lewis, it went to voicemail.

"I just couldn't take it anymore.. Everyday, when I would think of him, I would feel really shitty.."

"Why?"

Cleo shrugged. "Now I just regret everything I did, everything I said to Lewis.. I made a really stupid decision today, Rikki."

Rikki sighed and continued rubbing Cleo's arm. ".. Do you wanna get drinks? Maybe that'll take your mind off of Lewis for a bit?"

Cleo didn't respond. All she was doing was crying to herself and closing her eyes, putting off everything that was disturbing her at the moment.

"Come on, Cleo, you can't be like this the entire night.. Look, I'll take you out to the bar and we'll get anything you want. It'll be my treat, and it'll be fun!"

Cleo still didn't budge nor respond in any sort of way towards Rikki. She stayed motionless, unlike the droplets that trickled down her soft skin.

".. We can trick guys into giving us free drinks," Rikki joked. Cleo formed a slight smile and giggled under her breath. Rikki chuckled. "Come on, Cleo, let's have fun! It's 9:00 PM on a Friday night, does that not bring up the word 'party' in your mind?"

Cleo's smile grew wider. "Alright, alright," she said. Rikki smiled as Cleo stood up from the couch and grabbed her box of tissues and chocolates, setting them aside in her room. She then went over to the bathroom to wash her face, to rid her damp cheeks of the tears that still stained them. She entered the living room and grabbed her bag.

"Let's go."

Cleo and Rikki entered the bar, finding it to be slightly barren with only a few customers. "Well, at least we don't have to deal with an overwhelming crowd," Rikki mentioned. Cleo nodded in agreement and then pointed towards the counter. "I'm taking a few shots today."

"Wow, look who's going above their boundaries!" Rikki said. "You usually just drink a bit of wine, MAYBE a sip of vodka if you feel like it."

"Well, I feel it now."

Cleo sighed and walked over to the counter, greeting the bartender and pointing up two fingers. Rikki couldn't stand seeing Cleo down in the dumps. Cleo was usually the cheerful one, and when she wasn't, it felt like nothing was at all.

Over the course of an hour, Cleo managed to drink five shots and a glass of alcohol - which was one too many for her.

"Woo! Shots, shots, shots!" Cleo exclaimed. Rikki laughed. She'd never seen Cleo drunk, let alone excited about alcohol. While Cleo was all tipsy and eager, Rikki only kept to her bottle of water. She knew she had to keep an eye on Cleo if she was taking shots, because Cleo was usually a wine-type of girl; shots may have been too harsh for her.

"We should go dance!" Cleo shouted, inviting Rikki over to the dance floor. "I'm fine.." Rikki replied as she shook her head. Rikki realized that Cleo was pretty intoxicated, the most she's ever seen her; she was missing a sandal, her hair was loose and tousled, and she was a little clammy; Rikki couldn't blame her, though. She had a pretty rough experience with Lewis that night.

"Cleo, we should probably go home.. It's getting late,"

"What? No! We're having fun!" Cleo protested. Rikki rolled her eyes. "Come on, we're leaving."

"Aw.." Cleo pouted. Rikki took $50 out of her wallet and handed it in to the bartender. She took Cleo out of the bar and drove her to Rikki's apartment, taking two pit stops in midst so she could bring Cleo back to the car when she tried to escape. After that, Cleo began to feel fatigued and ended up falling asleep.

As soon as Rikki got home, she gently laid Cleo down on the couch, trying her best not to awaken her. She snatched a silky blanket from her bedroom and wrapped it around her. Rikki observed Cleo as she peacefully slept, looking at every beautiful feature she was awed by. Of course, Cleo didn't look her best at the moment; but that didn't matter to Rikki. Her hair was a rich shade of mahogany, and her smooth, rosy lips were tempting.

Rikki stroked the side of Cleo's hair and whispered " _good night_ ," as she concluded her day.


End file.
